Not now! Not with Cinn so close. Dacian had never been so scared in his life. He had to stall his maker while Cinn escaped.

“I’ve been thinking about it, Stephan. The whole punishment thing is getting old.”

He reached for Cinn and gave her a hard shove toward the door. “Run!”

Dacian heard Stephan’s sigh whisper through his mind. “You have someone there who you don’t want to get hurt, so you’re trying to stall me. Can I assume your answer is the usual?”

Dacian didn’t answer. Instead, he sent a mental warning aimed at Ganymede. He was the most powerful entity in the castle, and he’d handled Dacian before. Dacian’s last coherent thought was a hope that he wouldn’t kill anyone this time.

Cinn ran. She could hardly drag enough air into her lungs as she breathed in panting gasps while her heart pounded out a rhythm of terror.

But she wasn’t running away from Dacian. She was running toward help. She had to reach someone who could stop what was happening to him. Anyone. She wouldn’t be picky.

Cinn knew she’d never forget the moment when she had looked into Dacian’s eyes and saw true terror there. She’d somehow thought this was a man who feared nothing. Well, she’d been wrong. She didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that Stephan was on the phone.

And as she’d bolted for the door, she’d glanced back. His fangs were fully extended and there was nobody home in those black eyes.

She sobbed as she ran. Someone, please, someone, help him.

She slammed into a big body and sat down hard on the ground of the courtyard. Cinn stared up at the man she’d run into. He was only a huge black shadow in the darkness. But before she could climb to her feet and start to run again, he lifted her up.

“What’s wrong? Who do you want me to help?”

He’d read her mind. Nonhuman? She didn’t care what he was. A troll or ghoul was fine with her, as long as he could help Dacian.

Fear made her breathless. She pointed toward the greenhouse. “Dacian. Vampire. Needs help.”

She didn’t get the last word out before he was off and running. At the same time, Ganymede came bounding out of the castle, followed closely by Sparkle, Edge, and Bain. Even Holgarth trailed the pack.

Suddenly, the adrenaline drained from her. She sat back down in the middle of the courtyard and put her head in her hands. Roars and shouts filled the air.